Frozen
by Mellie1
Summary: Evil lurks closer to home than you would think. Deceptive dreams and an emerging enemy force Kenshin and Kaoru into a fight for their lives; and for each other.
1. Evening Chill

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em. All RuroKen characters belong to their respective creators, animators, marketers, and whatnot. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.  
Frozen   
  
Chapter 1  
A soft breeze blew across the courtyard of the Kamiya dojo, carrying with it the scent of spring. It was the finest it had been for weeks; the sun shone, the birds chirped, the sky was a brilliant, intoxicating shade of blue. Everything was perfect, not a thing amiss or out of place in the world.  
  
Which was precisely the reason, of course, that something had to go wrong.   
  
She was waiting for something to happen. Something. Anything. Yahiko was working at the Akabeko. Sano was gone for the week; when pressed, he had only given the cryptic response "private business." Kenshin had gone off on some small errand of his own, and would not return for some hours yet.  
  
Kaoru Kamiya watched as a single pink petal floated softly through the air, sighing at the scent of cherry blossoms it brought along with it. The dojo was absolutely silent- it should have been easy to relax. And yet she still found herself on edge, waiting for something to happen- tense where she should have been calm, especially now that the riotous events of the past year were behind them.  
  
Unable to focus her mind long enough to perform any of the chores needed in the dojo, she had come outside to try and enjoy the spring weather. There were undoubtedly a million things she could be doing- things vastly more productive and useful than watching flower petals on the breeze.  
  
But the last week had been particularly chaotic, and she found herself unwilling to leave the soft green grass to return to her duties inside. Sitting here, the warmth of the spring morning had finally begun to relax her, easing slightly the months of tension that had been building on her slim shoulders. Yahiko would undoubtedly taunt her for being lazy; but he would never have to know. None of them would. Especially not...  
Sighing, she dismissed the thought and lay back once more. A short rest, then. But only a short one.   
  
There was, after all, work to be done.  
  
***  
  
Himura Kenshin sighed as he crested the hill, closing violet eyes as a breeze ruffled his unruly bangs away from his face. The wind was warm against his skin, and it smelled of the rain that had fallen only last night.  
  
'So it is spring.' He though idly, raising his head and breathing in deeply. 'Another year.'  
Something flashed at the corner of his eye, and he turned to see a pink cherry petal floating past, carried by the wind that swept and tossed it through the morning air.   
  
Beautiful...but he really should be doing things besides watching blossoms in the wind. Kaoru-dono was still at the dojo, and without someone there to moderate her, she was probably working herself far too hard.  
  
He smiled at the thought of her dashing around the dojo, busy with anything and everything. She had grown even more capable of running her father's business over the past year- but there were still days when the work of caring for the dojo, as well as Yahiko, Sano, and himself, seemed to weigh her down. She had not been sleeping well for the past few weeks, he knew. When she appeared in the morning, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she was jumpy and easily rattled.  
The flower petal dipped once more in the soft breeze before landing on the ground in front of him.  
  
'Kaoru-dono...'  
  
It was like that night, months and months ago before he had left for Kyoto....with the cherry blossoms falling all around, their sweet scent drifting through the air.  
Memories of an embrace-feeling her body close to his, her startled gasp of breath warm on his neck- and then her heartbroken cry as he turned and walked away.  
A shake of his head brought him back to the present. He had walked away that night, fully expecting never to see her again.   
  
But she had followed him.  
  
He knew then that she had feelings for him; he had seen it in her eyes. The knowledge had awoken a whirlpool of emotions, a mixed storm of fear, shock...and relief.  
  
Raising his hand, he let the wind sweep the flower from his hand, turning to face the dojo.  
  
Towards home.  
  
***  
  
The dark man watched him go, and smiled as the rurouni faded into the distance. So this was the man he had been awaiting for so long...this was Hitokiri Battousai. The manslayer, the murderer- the warrior with the stains of a thousand lives on his hands.  
  
Funny. He thought such a man would have looked more...dangerous.  
  
Black, bottomless eyes flashed with dangerous good humor. Lips curled into a smile. It was no matter what Battousai looked like- all that mattered was what was inside.  
That soul- the black soul of a killer.  
  
He could feel that his time was drawing nearer, and it made him impatient. He had waited for so long...and now that his chance was nearly here, he had become impatient in an almost child-like manner.  
  
He wanted that soul, that power- and he wanted it NOW.  
  
And, as many poor, lost lives could attest to, he always got what he wanted.  
  
But he had been patient for time out of mind, and he could afford to wait a bit longer. It was, after all, the chance of a lifetime- or a thousand.  
  
The dark man drew back, melding with the shadows of the trees behind him. The morning sun shone where he had stood, warm rays beating down on the green grass, and melting the perfect frozen outline of two footprints, one right next to the other.  
  
***  
  
  
Underneath a tree, barely a mile away, the only movement was the rise and fall of Kaoru's chest as she slept, having been lulled to sleep by the breeze and sun. Dark brows narrowed- a breath hitched. A soft gasp escaped her, fingers reaching for something not there. She shifted briefly- and then slept silently once more.  
  
In her dreams, she strayed through wisps of memories, thoughts, nightmares. Walking a path that she had followed countless times before, she passed the good and the bad, things that had caused her pain and joy, tears and laughter. But she paid little heed to any of it, for she knew that in the end, her dream would lead to him, just as it had countless times before.  
  
So she journeyed the paths of her mind in sleep, alone. In her heart was a constant, throbbing ache: an emptiness that drove her from memory to memory, searching, unable to rest.  
And just as she felt she could not take another step- just as she felt she would collapse with weariness- a lone figure appeared.  
His face was down, eyes shadowed by unruly bangs. He did not look up as she drew closer, but the throb in her chest began to ease, simply by being in his presence.   
  
"Kenshin," she breathed...and he raised his head slowly, gazing at her with wide violet eyes. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were filled with desperate yearning, tinged with sorrow and regret that seemed to draw her to him like a moth to a flame. She wanted so badly to run to him, to throw her arms around him and tell him that everything was all right now-  
But even as she drew closer, he slowly raised both hands, palm-side up, as if trying to show her something.  
"Kenshin..."  
  
He shook his head, even as his eyes shone with loneliness that brought tears to her eyes.  
  
"Kaoru-dono...don't come any closer."  
  
She fought to go to him, but her feet refused to move along the path. He watched her all the while, palms still raised in front of him.  
"No," he whispered. "Sessha's hands are stained with too much blood, Kaoru-dono...so much blood...Sessha is not worthy."  
  
She struggled to cry out to him- to tell him that she didn't care, to tell him how much she loved him- to tell him how much it hurt to stay away. But the dream was already fragmenting, fading into pieces of hazy memory.   
But even as his face faded, she could still hear his voice, calling her name.  
  
"Kaoru-dono..."  
  
She sat bolt upright with a sharp cry, reaching out for him-  
  
And her hands touched soft cloth, the fabric bunching between her fingers as she gripped it.   
  
"...nani?" she managed, trying to force the world back into perspective. A warm hand gripped her shoulder; violet eyes stared into her own, concern bright in their warm depths.  
The world fell back into focus with a nearly audible click as his face came into focus, so close to her own.  
  
For a heartbeat, they stared at each other, faces only inches apart. Momentarily lost in the depths of his eyes, Kaoru felt as if she were drowning, deep water closing over her head even as she fought to breathe. But then he dropped his gaze, and the spell was broken.   
A blush burned across her face as she looked down as well, and she was horrified to see that she was still gripping his sleeve in one hand. She released it as if it had burned her palm, too embarrassed to lift her eyes again.  
  
"Kenshin?" she whispered groggily.   
  
"Aa," he responded gently. "Kaoru-dono, are you all right?"  
  
She nodded, raising a hand to rub her eyes. "Of course..." She stopped as her fingers touched wetness on her cheeks. Tears. She had been crying in her sleep.  
  
"Iie, you were crying," he murmured. "Kaoru-dono, what is it? Sessha saw you sleeping here, and it looked as if you were having a nightmare."  
"Sessha was worried," he continued when she didn't respond.  
  
"I'm fine," she managed, still not able to look at him. A warm hand covered hers, and she automatically raised her eyes to his in surprise. Once he had her gaze, he held it, searching for the answer she had not given. Caught off guard, she could only stare back, mind wholly enveloped by the soft warmth of his hand on hers.  
  
Kenshin searched her gaze, struck by how weary the normally vibrant face seemed. When he had first entered the courtyard, she had been laying peacefully on the ground, fast asleep- but as he drew nearer, she had begun to thrash and moan, as if fighting her dreams.  
"Are you sure, Kaoru-dono?" he asked softly. "Sessha has noticed that you are tired all the time. Have you been sleeping well?"  
  
Sleeping? No...she hadn't slept well in a long while. There had been dreams...several times a week, if not more. It was always the same; his turned out palms, a barrier to keep her away, and his pain-etched face as he told her to stay back. Of him fading into darkness, leaving her alone once more with the dull, pounding ache of loneliness.   
  
How many times had she tried to run to him, to wrap him in her arms and hold him tight, to ease the ache she saw on his face- the same ache that was mirrored in her heart?   
  
"Hai...I'm fine." She repeated. "You worry too much, Kenshin."  
  
His lips curled slightly in a smile- but the expression did not reach his concerned eyes.   
***  
  
The dark man clapped his hands gleefully as the air in front of him shimmered and waved, projecting a picture of Kaoru's tear streaked face.  
It had been almost too easy- with the barest of thoughts, he could place himself inside the girl's mind, turn her dreams dark and cold with only the slightest nudge. He had no personal quarrel with her, of course; it was only another step towards his goal of the Battousai. And even if he did not realize it yet, the girl carried with her a large part of the hitokiri's heart.  
  
And to get to him, all such...obstacles...must first be removed. People such as the girl tied Himura to his human side- helped keep clear the line between the Battousai and the man, kept one from bleeding into the other. Kept that strength, that glorious, dark strength, at bay.  
He could not have that. When he finally claimed Battousai's soul, it must be pure and untainted. And so even as he slowly wore the girl down with nightmares, night after night, he turned his dark gaze towards another that Himura loved.  
  
The boy. 


	2. Early Morning Frost

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own 'em, so don't worry about it. Just enjoy my newest chapter.  
  
Frozen  
Chapter 2  
She could only pick at her food that night, half listening to Sano tell with pride about the money he had gained gambling during the day.  
Biting back her sarcastic comment about the uses that money would go to, she rested her gaze on Yahiko, seated across from her. He too had been unusually quiet tonight- his laughter during Sano's story seemed to lack its normal cheerfulness, and he barely ate any of his food. Even more worrisome was that she had yet to hear one "busu" or "hag" from his mouth since he had returned.  
She saw that Kenshin had also rested his gaze on the young boy, eyes thoughtful as he took in Yahiko's slight form. As the meal dragged on, Yahiko seemed to grow even worse- his face became pale, and even his laughter began to sound strained and forced. Finally, he stood, wobbling slightly as he sucked in a breath.  
  
"Yahiko..." Kaoru reached out a hand in concern; but he brushed her off, turning towards the entrance.   
"I'm going to get some air...I'll be back." The words floated back to her as he left, heading towards the door with unsteady steps. Kaoru stood up, worry etched across her face. Something was wrong...  
"Kaoru-dono." From across the room, Kenshin's voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned to face him, and he smiled softly at her. "Sit down. Sessha will go."  
She thought briefly about arguing, and decided it was not worth the trouble. Kenshin would take care of Yahiko. He nodded slightly at her expression of gratitude before quietly excusing himself, following the path the boy had taken.  
  
Sliding open the door, he found the boy leaning against one of the support pillars, hand pressed to his head.  
Yahiko jumped when a gentle hand landed on his shoulder, spinning around to see who had followed him. The motion caused his head to begin whirling sickeningly once more, and Kenshin's hand became a firm support as he stumbled slightly.  
  
"Yahiko, what's wrong?" the rurouni asked, alarmed by how pale the boy's face had become.  
  
"I'm fine," Yahiko scowled, turning away. "Just tired, 's all."  
  
Kenshin couldn't stop a slight smile from spreading across his face. "Has Kaoru-dono been working you so hard?"  
  
"Busu," the boy muttered half-heartedly. "She's out to kill me, you know."  
  
The rurouni made a neutral sound; but his grin widened slightly.  
  
"Will you take care of her?"   
  
The question came out of nowhere, and it took a startled moment for the words to sink in.  
"Oro?"  
  
Yahiko sighed, made a face. "Will you...will you keep Kaoru safe?"   
  
He started to smile again- then caught the seriousness in the boy's face.  
"Yahiko..."  
"Don't let anything happen to her." Yahiko whispered. "She...she's all I have..."  
  
Kenshin waited quietly. The boy swallowed, hard, and then went on.  
  
"After mother and father died...and the pickpockets.... I thought I'd never get to have a family again. But then...it was like I got another chance. I got another family- another mother and a big sister, a big brother, and...  
He blushed, staring down at the ground. "...a father."  
  
For a moment, there was silence; and then Yahiko felt a gentle hand settle on his shoulder once more, a silent affirmation.  
He relished the warm feeling that spread through him, the feeling of security that he thought had died with his father. Weariness warred with pride; but in the end, the small boy won over the future warrior. Sighing, he leaned back against Kenshin, looking not so much the ancestor of samurais than as a small boy who needed to be reassured. The warmth at his back was solid, strong, and comforting.  
Kenshin closed his eyes as he felt the rise and fall of Yahiko's shoulders beneath his rough hands.  
  
A...a father?  
  
Part of him rebelled against the thought. He was both rurouni, a wandering samurai, and Battousai, the manslayer. How could he possibly be a father? Yahiko needed someone else...someone who would stay with him, watch him grow, guide him in his training...  
'But he doesn't want someone else...he wants you.' A small voice whispered.   
  
But along with Himura Kenshin came his past...the torn and bloody past of a man named Himura Battousai.  
'He knows about your past...and he doesn't care. He looks up to you, idolizes you...loves you.'  
  
Love.   
  
Was he still the man he had been, so many years ago? Or was he someone different...someone capable of loving? Capable of caring for...a son?  
'Could you really leave now? Take off without looking back, and go back to being alone? Leave Yahiko, Sano, Megumi...  
...leave Kaoru-dono?'  
It was a question that weighed on his shoulders, demanding an answer he did not have.  
  
But he could protect them, even if he couldn't love them.  
  
'Baka...you already do.'  
  
He brushed aside the voice, looking down at the small boy leaning against him.   
  
Yes...he could keep them safe.  
  
"I'll protect her, Yahiko," he murmured, not daring to offend the boy's fierce pride by including him in the statement. But in his heart, he silently swore the same- no harm would come to this boy who called him father.  
  
"Sessha will protect her."  
  
Yahiko nodded drowsily, leaning further into Kenshin's hold. He had expected no less.  
  
The setting sun illuminated them both as they stood on the porch; the small, fierce boy with the stubborn face, and the fiery haired man who stood behind, regarding him with warm violet eyes.  
  
And from far away, the dark man watched...and laughed.  
  
***  
  
  
"One...uhh...two...uhh...three..."  
Yahiko glared at the back of Kaoru's head as he swung the practice sword. She had sentenced him to one hundred swings for insulting her; not that she hadn't deserved it.  
  
"Six...busu...seven...hag..."  
  
He found some satisfaction in muttering to himself- though he dared not say it loud enough to evoke her wrath.  
  
Once was quite enough, even for Yahiko.  
  
To make matters worse, rain had fallen once more the night before, causing the front courtyard to become one large mud puddle.  
  
A mud puddle he was now standing in the middle of.  
  
At least he wasn't feeling funny anymore...like he had at dinner last night. For a while, he had thought for sure that he was getting sick.  
'Or maybe it was just busu's food,' he thought scathingly, shooting Kaoru yet another glare. It was a mystery to him why he hadn't burned holes in her back yet.  
  
"Uhh...twenty-one...uhh...twenty-two..."  
  
His frustration continued to grow as he swung. Why didn't she turn around? He would give her face so awful she'd have nightmares for weeks... Angrily, he put all his force into the next swing of the bokken-  
And yelled as he felt his feet begin to slide out from under him. Caught up in his frustration, he had overcompensated, and lost his footing in the slick mud. He had time for one startled oath before he hit face first, arms and legs thrashing as he was instantly coated with the thick mud.  
  
Only then did Kaoru look up.  
  
She regarded him over the top of her book, one eyebrow raised. Yahiko resembled one of the mud pies Ayame and Suzume were so fond of making. For a moment, they stared at each other wordlessly- and then Yahiko noticed Kaoru's mouth twitching uncontrollably. She stared for another moment- and then burst into peals of laughter.  
  
Yahiko could only watch in mute amazement as she clutched her book, laughing so hard tears ran down her face. He honestly didn't know whether to be angry...or whether to laugh along with her.  
  
So, in his moment of indecision, he settled for the next best thing.  
  
Kaoru was slumped the ground, clutching her aching stomach and trying to stop laughing long enough to breath when a mudball hit her square in the face.  
In an instant, her laughter was sheared short as she felt the mud drip down the front of her kimono.  
  
She could only stare in shocked silence as Yahiko folded his arms, tilting his head to better examine his handiwork, a smug smile stretched across his face.  
There were, of course, a million things that she could do at that moment. But somehow, only one of them seemed fitting in the wake of the loss of her favorite kimono.  
With a loud cry, she flung herself from the porch, tackling Yahiko in the mud. He yelled in surprise- but there was laughter in the exclamation, too.  
  
"Oro?"  
  
The soft voice sent two heads whipping around, two sets of eyes widening simultaneously.   
  
Kenshin looked in bewilderment at the sight in front of him, eyes wide with disbelief.  
  
"Ohayo, Kenshin!" the smaller of the two moving mud heaps waved cheerfully.  
  
"Ya...Yahiko?" Kenshin ventured cautiously.  
  
"Yup." Came the careless reply. "Busu's here, too." He pointed happily to the larger mud-covered figure, which had apparently been trying to inch away.  
"I see." Kenshin answered, obviously at a loss for words.  
"Come play with us, Kenshin!" the boy called joyfully.  
  
"ORO?" The redheaded man choked out. "Yahiko...Sessha...too much to do... Sessha...oh look, is that some laundry?"  
Yahiko turned, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where?"  
Kenshin was halfway across the yard before Yahiko caught on, whirling around and nearly falling once more. "Hey, no fair!"  
  
The rurouni felt his heart leap as he drew nearer to the door- safety was just...another...few feet...  
But sadly, the unnatural speed and lighting reflexes of the former Hitokiri Battousai were useless against the well-aimed mudball that was speeding directly towards the back of his head.  
  
"Ororooo!"  
  
Yahiko collapsed against Kaoru, laughing hysterically. Kaoru bit her lip, determined not to join him... but Kenshin looked so utterly bewildered, eyes wide as he stared at them, one hand raised to the mud coated back of his head.  
Kenshin briefly considered snatching at what was left of his dignity and making a hasty exit- Kaoru-dono and her student had quite obviously gone insane.  
  
It was, he reflected, probably a result of Kaoru-dono's cooking the night before.  
  
But when Kaoru-dono started to laugh, he knew it was a lost cause.  
  
"You know," he remarked calmly, "of course, that Sessha must enact a great and terrible revenge for that."  
"Bring it on!" Yahiko crowed. Kenshin nodded gravely- and then a smile broke out on his face.   
  
And so it was that Himura Kenshin, legendary warrior, brought his battle skills to the mud pit of the Kaimya dojo.  
  
***  
  
Yahiko laughed as he and Kaoru launched yet another assault on the now covered Kenshin. It was times like these that his old life seemed small and far away; when the pickpockets and his years on the street seemed like a fading bad dream.  
  
He grinned as Kaoru grabbed Kenshin's leg, upsetting his balance and unsteady footing. He fell, pulling her with him, laughing even as she cried out in mock protest.  
He loved seeing them together. Talking, arguing, pulling each other's hair, it didn't matter- as long as they were together. It was then that he could pretend...almost believe...  
He wanted to see them together. Wanted to watch them like he had once watched his parents.  
  
He smiled, giving one last glance to the couple in the mud- and then quietly made his way towards the house.  
  
Even two people as thickheaded as Kaoru and Kenshin would get it, eventually.   
  
But in the meantime, a little privacy probably wouldn't hurt a thing.  
  
Kaoru giggled as Kenshin reached up with one hand, rubbing mud into her hair. She squeaked in protest, trying to pull away; but he held her firmly, smiling up at her with warm violet eyes.  
  
By the time she realized they had both stopped laughing, her heart had already begun to pound. They were close...too close...  
One of his hands still rested on the small of her back, pressing her against him. She could feel his soft warmth even through the chill of the mud, even through the mud-drenched cloth of her kimono.  
  
She tried to form words- but none came. Every ounce of her attention was firmly caught up in the soft brush of breath against her cheek, the rise and fall of his chest beneath her...She shuddered lightly, helplessly, when he idly began tracing circles on her back, his touch searing away the cold. This was...  
And then...  
  
Her breath caught when he gently pushed down on the back of her head, bringing her towards him. She couldn't breath...she was drowning again, lost in a sea of violet...  
And his warm eyes...  
  
And face, so close...  
  
Her heart was going to burst...  
  
"Ohhhhhh, Ken-saaaaaaannnn!"  
  
He tensed beneath her, eyes widening as if awakening from a dream. Abruptly, he pulled back, still breathing hard-  
  
And the moment was gone. 


	3. Light Flurries

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them, much as I wish I did. Sigh.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the delay...it's been a rough couple of weeks with finals at school and work and whatnot, but hopefully I'll be able to make the next update a bit sooner. In the meantime...enjoy.  
  
  
  
Frozen  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Yahiko had no quarrel with Megumi. He liked her, respected her, even enjoyed time spent with her. She had, after all, saved his life once, and it was something he had never forgotten.  
  
  
  
But at that very moment, he could have throttled her with his bare hands.  
  
  
  
It had been going so well.   
  
They had been face to face in the mud, both with those disgustingly sappy, dreamy looks on their faces. And then, he had been sure they were about to kiss...  
  
  
  
So close. He banged his fist against the wall in frustration, his head beginning to ache once more. If something didn't happen, and soon, he would personally shove them in a closet and lock the door.  
  
  
  
Just...not right now.  
  
He winced as his head began to pound miserably once more.  
  
Apparently, last night's complaints were not yet finished with him. Maybe he was catching a cold, after all...  
  
He shook his head angrily, watching as they rolled apart, suddenly shy and awkward, looking everywhere but at each other. After a moment, Kaoru said something to the ground, and Kenshin nodded, turning towards where Megumi was no doubt waiting.  
  
Yahiko groaned, clutching his head with both hands in equal frustration and pain.  
  
  
  
They had been so close.  
  
***  
  
  
  
Kenshin sighed as he toweled his hair dry, gazing ruefully at the muddy bath water. Pausing, he stopped for a moment, as if lost in thought- and then buried his face in the towel, twisting it so hard his fists turned white.  
  
  
  
Megumi had long since left in a huff; offended by his wandering attention, she had snapped that she would come back when his mind was unoccupied- and when he wasn't covered with mud.  
  
  
  
And Kaoru-dono...he hadn't seen her since...  
  
  
  
For a moment, he had lost control. Caught up in the moment, lost in her laughter, her eyes, her smile...he had let his iron grip slip.  
  
There had been confusion and disappointment in her eyes when he had pulled away; they had been so close that he had felt her quick intake of breath, felt her heart pounding against his.  
  
And he had hurt her- again.  
  
'Gomen, Kaoru-dono,' he thought sadly. 'But I cannot...'  
  
He should not touch her. Could not touch her. She was so high above where he stood, surrounded by her light and her sun and her smile...  
  
And the most he could do was stand beneath, face upturned to catch the rays of her warmth.   
  
  
  
He would not touch her. He would not hurt her...like...  
  
(snow)  
  
like...  
  
(red red everywhere snow white and red)  
  
He would not drag her down.   
  
(what have I done)  
  
Shaking his head angrily, he spun on his heel, breathing hard, forcing his frustration and   
  
(fear)  
  
under control.   
  
He would be all right. For her, and for Yahiko, and for Sano and Megumi and everyone he had come to know and respect...he would be all right.  
  
He took a breath, opening the door-  
  
And froze as his eyes fell on Yahiko. The boy was standing in the hall, one hand clutching the wall for support as he pressed the other to his head, skin terrifyingly pale beneath his fingers.  
  
"Ken...shin?" he whispered, staggering slightly. "I don't...feel...too..."  
  
  
  
Kenshin dashed forward to catch him as he fell, holding him close as Yahiko's head fell against his shoulder.   
  
"Yahiko!" He cried, eyes wide with rapidly increasing worry. The boy was ghostly pale, small chest heaving as he pulled in shallow breath after breath.  
  
But what frightened him most was how cold the boy was.  
  
His skin was freezing to the touch, so chilled that he was shivering in the rurouni's arms. He suddenly recalled Yahiko's paleness the night before-how he hadn't eaten, the way he had staggered when he had stood...  
  
He had been sick. And now he was trembling, barely able to speak through the shudders, frozen and scared.  
  
Kenshin sank to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy's slender frame.  
  
"You'll be fine, Yahiko." He whispered, resting his forehead on the boy's shoulder, willing his warmth to spread through his body. "Come one, let's get you to bed."  
  
"So...cold..." the boy muttered, burying his face in Kenshin's gi. "Kenshin..."  
  
Kenshin felt small muscles spasm once, hard- and then Yahiko's eyes rolled back as he went limp in the man's arms.  
  
"KAORU-DONO!" he roared.  
  
***  
  
  
  
Megumi sighed as she finished her examination of the boy lying on the bed, shoving a stray strand of her dark hair behind one ear. Yahiko was sleeping now, his breathing shallow- but stable.   
  
Shaking her head, she opened the door; and was immediately approached by a worried Kenshin, and a panic-stricken Kaoru.  
  
  
  
"Is he alright?" Kaoru asked anxiously, trying to peer over the other woman's shoulder. "What happened? Can you help him? Is he hurt, or-"  
  
"Enough!" Megumi snapped, weariness overcoming manners. "I will tell you, but you must let me speak!"  
  
Kaoru fell silent at the rebuke- and Megumi noticed for the first time how fearful her eyes were. Ringed with dark shadows, they looked even larger than usual in a pale, drawn face.  
  
"He's sleeping now," she said a bit more gently. "But..."  
  
The pause hung in the air for a tense moment- and then Megumi motioned to the chairs. "Sit," she ordered grimly. "We need to talk."  
  
At her tone, Kaoru felt sure she would fly into a million pieces, shattered and cracked into irreparable fragments. The room seemed to grow around her, overly bright and large, her senses desperate and open and searching for something to grab onto.  
  
Yahiko was sick. Yahiko was dying. Death would take him away from her as it had taken away everyone she had ever loved, leave her alone, alone where it was cold and everything burned and hurt...  
  
  
  
Warm fingers brushed over her wrist; a feather light touch, so soft she barely felt it.  
  
  
  
Kenshin...  
  
  
  
He touched her wrist again, and as she swam from her haze to meet his eyes, the world quieted, shrunk, and fell back into place.  
  
  
  
Never alone, Kaoru-dono.  
  
  
  
The words floated into her mind as clearly as if he had just whispered them into her ear.  
  
  
  
Not alone. Cracked, maybe- chipped, scratched. But never shattered-  
  
  
  
Never alone.  
  
She sank into the chair next to him, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "What is wrong with Yahiko, Megumi?"  
  
  
  
The fox lady continued to stand, taking a deep breath before speaking.  
  
"The boy is sleeping now. He's showing some signs of fatigue...rapid, shallow breathing...accelerated pulse. The symptoms boil down to an exceptionally bad fever, which explains his collapse. But..."  
  
  
  
She hesitated, and Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat.  
  
"But Yahiko's body...is cold. Not clammy and hot, which is usual for fevers- not even warm. It's freezing, in fact. I don't understand it, and I don't know what to do."  
  
"Can't you just keep him warm?" Kaoru ventured. "Blankets, hot liquids..."  
  
She trailed off when Megumi shook her head. "No. It's not cold as you would think of it. Yahiko is shivering- his lips are turning blue. His body temperature had dropped far, far below what it should be. In fact, his body should not be functioning, not at the temperature it is right now."  
  
  
  
"I don't know how or why, but he's still alive. However, if he stays this way much longer...he will die."  
  
***  
  
In...out.  
  
In...out.  
  
Kaoru watched the slow rise and fall of Yahiko's chest, keeping her mind carefully and neutrally blank. He looked so peaceful lying there; she could almost pretend that he was only asleep, that he would leap up at any moment and scornfully tell her to stop worrying, that he was fine...  
  
But then she reached to smooth a stray lock of hair from his pale face, her fingers brushing across soft skin.  
  
He was cold. So cold that it was like touching a block of ice.  
  
So cold...that he was dying.  
  
And then, for the first time, she felt tears burning behind her eyes. Angrily, she swiped them away with the back of her hand. Crying would not help Yahiko. Her tears could do nothing for him.   
  
But what could?  
  
She gently raised one of his still, cold hands, dropping her forehead to rest on the backs of his knuckles.   
  
"Don't you dare die," she breathed. "I'll never forgive you if you do."  
  
The tears burned once more, ready to overflow...  
  
But then...  
  
Her heart leapt as his fingers tensed between hers, flexing slightly in her grip-  
  
She lifted her head-  
  
And met his pain-filled eyes, reflecting back a mirror image of her own barely held back tears.  
  
"I didn't know you cared...busu..."  
  
His voice was faint, so soft it was barely audible. But it was there.  
  
"Idiot," she whispered, squeezing his hand more tightly. "I always have."  
  
He managed a smile, eyes drifting closed as he shivered once more. "I know."  
  
She heard the door behind her open, and the soft footsteps of someone approaching. "He's awake," she murmured, not daring to turn away, already knowing whom it was.  
  
"I know," he responded softly, kneeling beside her. "I heard you two talking."  
  
"Will you stay with him?" she asked quietly. "Someone should tell Megumi..."  
  
He nodded, lips curving into a soft smile. "Kaoru-dono. Get some rest. You haven't slept in a long time."  
  
She started to protest; hesitated; and then sighed wearily. "You'll stay?"  
  
"Yes." he said softly, meeting her gaze. "I'll take care of him." She met his eyes only for a moment before looking away, giving Yahiko's hand one last squeeze as she stood.   
  
"Thank you..."  
  
Her voice drifted back to him as she walked out the door, shutting it softly behind her.   
  
"Oi...Kenshin..."  
  
  
  
The soft whisper drew his eyes back to the young boy.   
  
"Yahiko," he said gently, taking the boy's limp hand in his own larger one, just as Kaoru-dono had done. Yahiko's hand seemed small and pale in his own rough palm, and he clasped it tightly, trying to will warmth to him through the touch.  
  
They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound that of Yahiko's labored breaths.  
  
"Am I gonna die?"  
  
The question came abruptly, hanging in the air, heavy in the stillness. Soft violet eyes met his own dark ones as Kenshin looked down, face unreadable. "Do you think you're going to die?"  
  
Megumi would have chided him for raising false hopes. Kaoru-dono would have said he was squashing what little hope Yahiko might have left. But the boy himself understood the question, better than either of the women would have.  
  
Yahiko was silent a moment, conscious of the gravity of the question. Finally, he sighed, turning his head to better meet Kenshin's gaze.  
  
"No. I think I have too much to do here, still."  
  
Kenshin nodded, not speaking; but Yahiko could sense his approval.  
  
"Why didn't you kiss her?"  
  
"Oroooo?"  
  
"You should have," Yahiko stated matter-of-factly. "I think you both wanted to. But you didn't. Why?"  
  
Kenshin drew a breath, looking down at Yahiko's hand in his own. "Yahiko...I don't..."  
  
"But you do," the boy pressed. "At least...I think you do. And I know she loves you."  
  
Kenshin looked up, startled. All the childishness seemed to have vanished from Yahiko's face, leaving only the all-too-serious expression of the boy who had seen too much and had too little time to be a kid.  
  
"I think you do," he repeated slowly, as if testing the words. "But anytime she gets too close...you start oro-ing and acting all dumb. She's waiting for you, though..."  
  
A shiver hit him, and he stopped, shaking uncontrollably under the blankets.  
  
"So...cold..."  
  
Now the voice was gone, and there was only a child's weariness in his eyes.  
  
"So...cold...I don't..."  
  
Kenshin felt his heart twist as he reached out, pulling Yahiko close. The boy clung to him, shivering, pressing close to the man's chest in a desperate search for warmth, all aloofness forgotten.  
  
A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short...but anyway. Review if you feel so inclined, and look for the next chapter in a week or so. 


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